RE: RE: RE: RE: RE: NR - Va Uranium

It does not look very promising for the bill.

BY REX SPRINGSTON Richmond Times-DispatchRichmond Times-Dispatch

Two state senators say they expect Sen. John Watkins, R-Powhatan, to move to strike his pro-uranium-mining bill Thursday in the Senate’s agriculture committee. “That means it's dead for the year, and he knows he doesn't have the votes” in the committee, said Sen. A. Donald McEachin, D-Henrico.

Watkins declined this morning to specify his plans.

Watkins' bill would require the state to craft regulations to oversee uranium mining. Both sides say approval in effect would lift the state's 31-year ban on uranium mining.

The committee appears to line up 12-3 or 11-4 against the Watkins bill, McEachin said.